Giving In
by TheShunnedPrince
Summary: Takes place after the season 3a finale. Turns out that Stiles was not really okay. Mild sterek but only as a bromance
1. Chapter 1

Stiles let out a breath. They were all safe, alive, and unharmed. Well, except for him. Stiles didn't think that crashing your jeep into a tree and hitting your head was 'unharmed', but then he looked over to where Scott was helping his father out of the root cellar, and he suddenly didn't care about what had happened to him. The only thing that mattered was that his father wasn't a sacrifice for an evil druid. Wow, his life had become pretty pathetic lately.

He walked over to his dad, stumbling a little.

"Hey dad" Stiles said, giving his dad a hug. "I'm so glad you weren't a sacrifice." the sheriff smiled at his son.

"I am too, Stiles" he said, stroking his fingers through his son's hair. The sheriff paused when he felt a sticky liquid he knew too well coat his hands. "Stiles, you're bleeding" he said, alarmed. _Shit._ Stiles thought.

"I'm fine dad, just bumped my head on something down there" Stiles lied, smiling a bit. His dad looked like he wanted to pursue the matter, but thankfully, Scott started talking.

"Derek and I think that some of us should go out into the woods to look for Jennifer" Scott said.

"But I thought Deucalion killed her" Stiles interrupted. Panic crept into his voice, and he silently cursed himself. Scott sighed.

"He did, but if Jennifer can survive having her face slashed up by Kali, we need to make sure she's really dead," Stiles smirked at that. Derek probably had to explain that logic to Scott at least twice. Scott looked at him weirdly, but continued "Derek already volunteered to look for her, but I think one more person should-"

"I'll go" Stiles blurted. He wasn't completely sure why he said it. Maybe because he didn't want people gushing over him, convincing him to go to the hospital just because he was stupid enough to crash into a tree. Maybe because he had just taken an ice bath, so he was really damn cold, and wanted to move. Maybe because Derek looked like something had permanently broken inside him and Stiles though he could cheer him up, or maybe the fact that his head really hurt and he wasn't thinking straight. Whatever the reason, Stiles knew that it was the right thing for him to go. Unfortunately, almost everybody else didn't.

"Stiles, you should rest" said Scott.

"I don't want you out of my sight, Stiles" his father warned.

"You need to be medically checked" Melissa argued.

"You could get hurt" Isaac pointed out nonchalantly (as if he really gave a shit)

"Stiles, somebody else should go" Allison tried. But Stiles was already shaking his head (which was a bad idea because it sent waves of pain through his whole body).

"I'm fine guys. Besides, it's not like I could get hurt. If Jennifer had her throat slashed out, she can't be much of a threat. Besides, I'll be with Derek. And dad, I promise, after I get back you can ground me, put a leash on me, tie me to a chair, or whatever the hell you want." everybody looked at each other, and Stiles could tell that he had won them over.

"Okay, but after that, we need to have a long talk, son, about all this supernatural bullshit, okay?" the sheriff said. Stiles smiled.

"Yes sir" Stiles smirked. And then everybody was leaving at once. Scott clapped him on the back, Isaac nodded at him, and Allison gave him a little wave. Melissa scanned him for injuries, flinching a little when she saw the blood on his temple, but he waved her off. His dad was last, pulling Stiles into a tight hug.

"Be careful, son" he whispered. Stiles nodded. Once they had all left, he turned to Derek, who was sulking in a corner.

"So, uh, let's go?" he asked because the silence was awkward. Derek nodded and started walking. Stiles assumed he wanted to be followed.

They crashed through the woods, Derek walking briskly up ahead, Stiles panting to catch up. He tried multiple times for desperate conversation.

"So, um, what exactly happened? Scott was kind of vague about how it all went down." Derek grunted, but after a pause he talked.

"Scott was at the warehouse with Deucalion, and Jennifer dragged me with her. We fought, she gave Deucalion back his eyesight, Scott broke through mountain ash, became a true alpha, Deucalion slashed out Jennifer's throat" he said.

"Well, that was even worse than Scott's version" Stiles muttered. They had been walking for fifteen minutes when the throbbing in Stiles' head got worse. It was painful, sometimes sharp; other times just a dull ache. He stumbled a bit when a wave of dizziness hit him. He closed his eyes for a minute. He had had concussions before, but none had ever felt as bad as this one. He was also freezing. The cold was seeping into his bones. Then the nausea came, slapping him in the face. He stumbled again, almost falling. Black spots danced in his eyes. He squeezed them shut, and then opened them, only to find Derek's concerned/irritated face staring up at him.

"Whoa, dude, personal space" he squeaked. Derek rolled his eyes.

"Why did you come Stiles?" Derek asked. The question took Stiles by surprise.

"What'd you mean?" he asked. Derek sighed.

"You don't like me so why did you volunteer to find Jennifer with me, you just rescued your dad, so why aren't you with him, and you want to know what happened so why aren't you talking to Scott?" Stiles mouth hung slightly open. He blinked through the pain. He was about to say some lame excuse when a noise distracted him. Derek heard it too of course, werewolf hearing and all. It sounded like a groan.

It was Jennifer, throat a bloody mess, hair entangled, clawing her way across the ground. Derek moved towards her, but Stiles stayed, leaning against a tree. He felt dizzy and disoriented. He was aware that Derek and Jennifer were speaking. Something about...saving people? Stiles carefully walked forward, almost face planting into the soil. He saw Derek's claws extend, and sweep down on Jennifer, ending her miserable life. Derek stood, frozen, looking at her broken body.

But Stiles barely processed that. He was too busy trying to keep upright, and not throw up on the leaves. Finally, he reached Derek.

"Derek" he said, just barely a whisper. He groaned a bit, shivering violently.

"Derek" he tried again, this time tugging a bit on Derek's leather jacket. But Derek was still staring at Jennifer's body, transfixed. The dark spots were starting to get bigger in Stiles' vision, the pain intensifying so that it was almost unbearable.

"Derek" Stiles tried again, this time it was almost a whimper. Derek snapped out of whatever trance he was in and spun around to look at Stiles.

"Stiles, what's wrong?" Derek asked, panic leaking into his voice. Stiles may have said something, but he didn't know because he finally gave into the cold, and darkness, and passed out.


	2. Chapter 2

Derek had done it. He had finally killed Jennifer. So why didn't he feel good about it? He flashed back to what his Uncle Peter had said. _Wait for that rush of power and exhilaration after taking a life_. But Derek didn't feel anything after he had taken Jennifer's life. Sure, he had felt a rush of power after killing Peter, but that was just from becoming an alpha, right?

Derek stared down at Jennifer's body. _She really didn't deserve to die after what had been done to her_ , said a voice in his head. Derek squeezed his eyes shut, knowing that if he thought that for even a second, the guilt would eat him alive.

Then Derek heard a voice from far away. It was Stiles, calling his name. But Derek didn't feel like dealing with Stiles at the moment. Then there was tug at his jacket, and he felt irritation bubbling inside him. The stupid kid couldn't leave him alone for one second.

"Derek"

It was a whimper, and that snapped Derek out of his trance. He whirled around to see Stiles pale face.

"Stiles, what's wrong?" He asked. Of course, Stiles didn't answer, just collapsed to the ground.

"Shit" Derek muttered, and dropped down next to Stiles. That stupid teenager. Couldn't he take care of himself for _once_? And now Derek had to save his sorry ass, again. "Stiles?" Derek asked, patting the boy's cheek gently. Of course, no response. Derek sighed. This kid was going to be the death of him. "Stiles" he said louder with a low growl, shaking the boy a bit. When Stiles stubbornly remained silent, Derek sighed. "STILES" he roared, slapping him. Stiles jolted awake with a cry of pain that cut through Derek's heart.

"Derek?" Stiles asked groggily. Derek gripped Stiles' shoulder.

"What happened, Stiles? I swear if you lie to me I will rip your throat out with my teeth." Stiles smiled at the old threat, but it came off as more of a grimace.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I have a concussion" he said sarcastically. Derek rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I think I know that. But _why_ the hell do you have a concussion?" he asked irritably. Stiles fiddled with the hem of his shirt nervously.

"I, um, kind of crashed my jeep into a tree on the way to the Nemeton" he muttered. Derek's eyes went wide, and he tiredly pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Oh god, of course you did." Stiles frowned at that, but before he could come up with a retort, he shivered violently. "Are you cold?" Derek asked.

"Wow, thanks for noticing, captain obvious" Stiles snapped. Derek ran a hand through his hair.

"Come on, get up" he said offering a hand to Stiles. Stiles, being the stubborn idiot he was, didn't take it and got up by himself. He swayed a bit on his feet, and would have fallen back down if Derek hadn't caught him. "Holy shit, you are freezing" Derek said, quickly letting go of Stiles' arm. Stiles huffed.

"Yeah, well, considering the fact that I took an ice bath." Derek froze.

"You what?" Derek asked sharply. Stiles squinted at him.

"Oh come on, don't tell me Scott didn't tell you?" he asked, and when Derek shook his head, a grin broke out on his face. "Oh, this is good, Scott didn't tell you, I bet you're really offended and all" Stiles taunted. Derek's patience was close to gone, so he punched Stiles softly in the arm.

"Why did you take an ice bath, Stiles?" he asked. Stiles winced, and rubbed his shoulder.

"Okay, okay. Well, to find the Nemeton, Deaton said we had to die. So Scott, Allison, and I drowned ourselves in these icy tubs of water, like the one Deaton put Isaac in, and that was how we found the Nemeton" Stiles explained proudly.

"Why the hell did you do that?" Derek shouted, wiping the smile off Stiles' face. Stiles stepped back, and tripped over a root, falling on his ass.

"Ow" he said, squeezing his eyes shut. Derek knelt down and touched Stiles' arm. He stared, transfixed, as the black veins climbed up his own arm. "Thanks" Stiles said gratefully.

"Here, take my jacket" Derek said, taking the soft leather off his shoulders, and tossing it to Stiles. Stiles' mouth hung open.

"Are you serious?" he asked. Derek nodded. "But I'm gonna get blood all over it" Stiles said. Derek knit his eyebrows together. Stiles must be worse off than he had thought.

"Stiles, you're only bleeding from your head, and most of it is dry, so you can't really get blood on my jacket. Trust me, if there was any chance you could, I never would have given it to you" Derek pointed out. The last part was a lie. Derek cared more about Stiles than he did about his jacket, but if anybody were to find out, he would deny it and shove them into a wall.

"Oh" Stiles said softly, and snuggled into the jacket. "Ah, it's so warm! You're so warm, Derek" Stiles said, hugging himself. Uh oh, Stiles just called him warm. The kid must have hit his head harder than Derek had thought.

"We need to call someone" Derek said in response. He fished his phone out from his pocket. No signal. Of course, they were in the middle of the woods. Stiles checked his with the same result. "Well, I guess I could just howl for Scott to come pick us up, because you are not walking back in this condition." He expected Stiles to laugh, and crack dog jokes. What he didn't expect was Stiles to protest.

"No, don't call Scott! Please don't, he thinks everyone is alright, he deserves a break, please don't call him! Derek, don't call anyone, we can get out of here ourselves, please Derek? Come on, I believe you can find your way out of these woods with your werewolf skills, right?" he begged. Derek blinked in surprise.

"Stiles, Scott would want to know if something was wrong with his best friend, wouldn't he?"

"I know he would, and that's the problem. I've caused him enough trouble, and he's been through a lot for one night. He deserves a break. And plus, it isn't his job to get his weak, puny human friend out of every dangerous situation he manages to get in" Stiles finished. Derek was shocked.

"Is that what this is about? You think you're weak?" he asked, and Stiles looked up at him with those honey colored eyes. "God Stiles, you are not weak. Human doesn't mean weak, okay? And if Scott doesn't know about this, he's going to blame himself, right?" Stiles shook his head.

"Please don't call Scotty, Derek, please don't" Stiles said softly, looking up at Derek. It was then Derek realized how broken Stiles was. He had never realized it before since he was drowning in his own self pity, but Stiles had been through a lot, and still managed to crack jokes, help out his friend, and a handful of people he didn't even like. And the kid thought he was weak.

"Okay, fine, I won't call Scott, but then you have to promise to go to the hospital after we get out of here, okay?" Stiles rolled his eyes, but eventually said, "Fine."

And they started walking back.


	3. Chapter 3

Stiles kept seeing shadows. They appeared at the edge of his vision, but whenever he tried to get a closer look, they disappeared. He didn't want to admit it, but they scared him, a lot. He saw one out of the corner of his eye, reaching for him and he gasped. Derek's grip tightened protectively on his shoulder, and he frowned down at Stiles.

"What?" asked Derek worriedly. Stiles shook his head and clinged a little tighter to Derek.

"Nothing" he said, leaning into Derek's wide frame a bit more. Stiles had no idea how Derek had ended up supporting him. He may have tried to walk on his own, and then after stumbling and falling a couple of times, Derek had put his arm around Stiles' shoulder.

They walked for a few more minutes when Stiles decided he just couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"Are we lost?" he asked. Derek glanced down at him.

"No" he muttered. Stiles smirked.

"We're lost, aren't we?" he said. Derek frowned at him.

" _I_ am not lost Stiles. You are, because you have a concussion and have no idea where you're going" Derek snapped.

"Okay" Stiles said, and they walked in silence. The shadows came back, and Stiles wished they would just go away. He was exhausted, in pain, and the shadows made it so much worse. Then he remembered Deaton's words: _There will be a kind of darkness around your hearts._ Well, Stiles was definitely feeling the darkness. It crept into his soul, making him shiver and pull Derek's jacket tighter around him. The jacket smelled like Derek: wood, grass, and just nature in general. Stiles found him comforted by the scent. He looked up at Derek and thought _wow, you smell good._ Then, Stiles felt Derek's pace slow down, and watched as his eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"What?" Derek asked, voice laced with shock and surprise. Stiles realized he must have said that out loud, and tried to make the most of it.

"Your jacket, it smells like you" he stated awkwardly. Derek stopped, and stared at him long enough for Stiles to start fidgeting under his gaze. He looked down at the ground, and then back into Derek's eyes. What he saw there almost made him flinch. So much pain, so much loss. "Derek, are you okay?" Stiles asked. Derek blinked in surprise, and Stiles wondered how long it had been since somebody had asked him that.

"I'm fine" Derek muttered, and started walking again.

"No, you're not. What the hell did Jennifer do to you? Is this about Paige?" Derek stiffened, and Stiles mentally slapped himself. One day, his mouth was going to get him killed. "Derek, come on, talk to me, man. Okay, if not me, and then talk to Scott because Scott can help." Derek sighed, and after a long pause he started speaking.

"Killing Paige was what brought power to the Nemeton after it was cut down. When Jennifer was dying, it was Paige's blood in the root cellar that kept Jennifer alive. Ever since then she's had this kind of...obsession with me" Derek muttered.

"And did you have that same obsession with her?" Stiles asked carefully. Derek looked down at him.

"No" he said simply, and just like that, their little conversation was over for him. But not for Stiles.

"You know it's not your fault that Erica and Boyd died, right?" Stiles asked. Derek let out an irritated breath, and Stiles knew the answer. "Derek, you couldn't do anything. It was their decision to leave, you didn't kick them out. If you ask me, it was their fault, because _they_ left _you_ , and they shouldn't have. And sure, Boyd may have died on your claws, but he didn't blame you. Boyd never blamed you for anything. He forgave you" Stiles said.

"I know Stiles, but that's the problem." Derek interrupted angrily "Boyd forgave me. He shouldn't have. It was all my fault. If I had been a better alpha, they wouldn't have left, and if they hadn't left, they wouldn't be dead."

"You don't know that. Maybe the alpha pack would have kidnapped them anyway, maybe-"

"Just shut up Stiles!" Derek snapped. Then he took a deep breath as if to calm himself, and said slightly softer, "Please, just stop."

Stiles shut his mouth, thinking of what to say. He tried to remember what he wanted people to say to him when his mom had died. Definitely not 'I'm sorry for your loss' or 'it wasn't your fault'. Because it was partially his fault his mom died. And suddenly, Stiles knew exactly what to say to Derek.

"I blamed myself for my mom's death, you know" he said quietly. Derek's head snapped up, and even though they didn't make eye contact, Stiles knew he was listening.

"I thought that maybe if I hadn't been so hyperactive she wouldn't have died so quickly. Since I was so hard to take care of because of my ADHD, I stressed her out a lot, and stress was the last thing she needed, especially after she got sick. After she died, I would get these horrible nightmares about her blaming me, saying that I killed her. Hell, even now it bothers me. Remember last year at Lydia's party, where there was wolfsbane in the punch? It gave everyone hallucinations, and I saw my dad, drunk, blaming me for mom's death. He called me a 'hyperactive little bastard' and said I was killing him too. And I believed him. But now I know that there was nothing I could have done. She was going to die anyways," Stiles finished, and he was surprised to find that he meant every single word that just came out of his mouth.

There was a long pause after that, and the air seemed to buzz with electricity and tension as Derek contemplated Stiles' words. For a moment, Stiles thought he had said absolutely the wrong thing, and had made it worse. But then Derek spoke, and all of Stiles' doubts melted away.

"I'm sorry Stiles" Derek said. And even though Stiles hated it when people said that to him, he knew this that time, Derek had meant it. So Stiles nodded, and they kept on walking.

He must have zoned out for a while because the next thing he knew, Derek was tapping him on the shoulder.

"Stiles, we're at the Nemeton, so the road should be about a mile from here" he said. Stiles looked up, and sure enough, they were at that damn tree. Stiles looked around, and saw the root cellar he had climbed out of. Horrible things had happened here. His dad had almost died here; Scott's mom had almost died here. They had all almost died here.

It was like a hand was squeezing his lungs, and suddenly, Stiles couldn't breathe. Panic attack. Shit. He was not going to have a panic attack in front of Derek Hale. But there was no stopping it. The pain in his chest worsened, and his vision blurred.

"Derek" he whimpered. Derek whirled around.

"Stiles, what is it?"

"Can't...breath" Stiles choked out. Derek's eyes were wide with alarm, and that made Stiles panic more. If Derek was scared, it must be really bad. Stiles never felt his legs give out but next thing he knew he was on the floor, clutching his chest. The more he stared at the tree, the worse it got, and god, this was his second attack in 24 hours.

"Stiles hey look at me" Derek said, directing Stiles' face away from the Nemeton. "Just calm down, you're okay. Everybody is alive, everyone's fine." Stiles tried to draw in a breath, but it didn't work, and he shook his head. The shadows appeared, and he wanted nothing more than to give in to the darkness. Then Derek muttered something that sounded like _shit_ , and pulled Stiles into a bone crushing hug.

Stiles tensed, and the breath that he had been trying to take in caught in his throat. Derek patted his back, and suddenly, Stiles could breathe again.

"Thanks Derek" he mumbled, and Derek released him, helping Stiles up from the forest floor.

"Don't ever do that again, Stiles" Derek warned, like it was Stiles' fault for having a panic attack. But Stiles didn't care. He was done with the world, and wanted nothing more than to go to sleep in his own bed. Unfortunately, the world, being the asshole that it was, granted him only half of that wish.

Stiles felt himself blackout, falling into the exhaustion that claimed his body. He didn't hear Derek's frantic shouts, and didn't feel his body hit the dirt.


	4. Chapter 4

Derek was done with Stiles, done with trying to keep his stupid promise not to call Scott. He had picked up Stiles in his arms, and was alarmed to find that Stiles weighed almost nothing. When was the last time Stiles had eaten anything? The thought pushed him to run faster through the woods.

As soon as Derek reached the road, he checked his phone, and found that it had signal. He called Scott, and Scott picked up on the third ring.

"Hey Derek" Scott said "is everything alright? Did you find Jennifer?" Derek wasted no time in getting to the point.

"Yes, we found Jennifer, but that's not the point" he panted.

"What'd you mean that's not the point?" Scott sounded confused.

"The point is that Stiles is hurt. The idiot crashed his jeep into a tree on the way to the Nemeton." Derek started to explain, but was interrupted by Scott.

"He WHAT?" Scott yelled.

"Shut up Scott. I don't think he's eaten anything since his dad went missing, and not to mention the ice bath he took, which _you_ conveniently forgot to tell me about" Derek shouted. Derek could almost hear Scott wince over the phone.

"Shit. Okay, Derek, I'm coming, and I'll bring my mom." Derek nodded, and then remembered that Scott couldn't see him so he said

"Okay, hurry" and hung up. Derek sighed, and sat down on a nearby tree stump, gently placing Stiles' head in his lap. He waited impatiently, straining his ears for the sound of a car engine.

When he finally heard Melissa McCall's car screech down the road, Derek stood up, and gathered Stiles in his arms. Scott and his mom got out, and Melissa bent down to examine Stiles. Derek was silent while Scott's mouth hung slightly open. Melissa's face was grim as she signaled Derek to carry Stiles into the car.

"Is he going to be all right?" Scott asked anxiously as Derek lay Stiles down in the back seat. Melissa pursed her lips.

"He will be once we get him to the hospital" she replied. Scott's eyes widened as he shakily got into the passenger seat. Derek let out a sigh, gently lifting up Stiles' head and slipping into the back of the car. They drove in silence, Melissa going as fast as she could without calling any attention to the cops.

Stiles was deathly pale, and his skin was cold to the touch even with Derek's jacket on. Derek reached down and took as much pain as he could from Stiles, surprised at how much the boy was hurting.

"God Stiles, why do you have to do this?" he muttered, not really expecting an answer, but Stiles stirred in his arms, eyelids fluttering a bit before opening.

"Derek?" Stiles asked weakly. Derek's gaze snapped down to Stiles, and Scott turned around in his seat.

"Stiles! You're awake!" Scott said, relieved. Stiles groaned.

"Derek, my head hurts" he whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut.

"You'll be okay, Stiles" Scott whispered softly. Derek stayed silent, but took more pain from Stiles.

"Derek, I keep seeing shadows. Make them go away! Please, Derek? Make them go away" Stiles whispered, not seeming to have heard Scott. By now, Derek was beyond worried. In fact, he was terrified. The fact that Stiles was only human had slipped through his mind these past years.

"We're on the way to the hospital, Stiles, so relax. The shadows aren't real" Derek soothed, fighting to keep his voice calm. He expected Stiles to accuse him for calling Scott, but he didn't.

"The shadows are real to me, Derek" he muttered, and his eyes dropped shut, heartbeat slowing considerably.

"Stiles!" Derek yelled, his eyes going wide. As if that would help. He shook him a bit, but Stiles did not respond. Scott shot a worried glance in his mother's direction, and Melissa pushed her foot slightly harder on the gas.

Finally, the hospital came into view, towering ominously over them. Derek leapt out of the car, gathering Stiles into his arms. Melissa ran ahead to get the stretcher ready while Scott bounded worriedly after Derek.

"Lay him down gently, Derek" Melissa instructed, gesturing to the stretcher. Derek laid Stiles down just as the sheriff came racing in.

"Where's my son?" he demanded in a panicked voice. "Is Stiles alright?" Derek could hear the sheriff's heart pounding in his chest. Melissa walked over to Sheriff Stilinski, gently pulling the concerned parent away to talk to him. Derek sighed, and collapsed into a chair. To his exasperation, Scott came and sat down next to him.

"What happened to Stiles, Derek?" he asked in that accusing tone of his. God, why did Scott always think everything was Derek's fault? _Because it is_ said a voice in his head. Derek hastily tuned it out.

"We were looking for Jennifer, and we found her. I killed her, and Stiles passed out. When he woke up, he told me he had crashed his jeep into a tree, and drowned himself before that. He made me promise not to call you, and we started walking back. Once we reached the Nemeton, he had a panic attack, and after I had calmed him down, he passed out again" Derek finished wearily. He could see the gears turning in Scott's head, and he knew that Scott was going to be pretty pissed at him once he had processed all that information. Sure enough, Scott was livid.

"Are you serious, Derek? You didn't call me just because Stiles made you promise not to?" he yelled, so that a few nurses glanced in their direction. "Of course Stiles told you not to call me, he's so damn selfless like that! God, Derek, you're so stupid! You should know by now that that's what Stiles does! He pretends that he's okay when he's really not, and then he ends up in the hospital!" Scott screamed.

Derek wanted to bow his head, and tell Scott that he was absolutely right. It was Derek's fault. Everything was Derek's fault: the fire, Boyd and Erica's death, Jackson becoming the kanima, everything. But Scott was a teenager, and Derek took shit from nobody.

"You think I don't know that, Scott?" Derek yelled back. "Of course I know what Stiles does, but if I had called you then, he would have had a worse panic attack than he had at the Nemeton. You didn't see him, he was hurt and delirious, Scott! And since when have you cared about Stiles anyway? You ignored him and put him in danger just because you had a girlfriend or something better to do!" Scott glared at him, and would have said something back if Melissa hadn't appeared then.

"What the hell are you boys doing?" she asked. Scott opened his mouth to answer angrily, but Derek interrupted.

"How's Stiles?" He asked. Melissa's expression turned from irritation to something else Derek couldn't put his finger on.

"He's going to be okay" she said with a smile, and Derek relaxed a bit. "He has a concussion, mild hypothermia, is totally sleep deprived and dehydrated, and two panic attacks in 24 hours didn't exactly help him, but he should be waking up soon. As soon as he regains consciousness, you guys can go see him, but for now you'll just have to wait." Derek sighed in relief, and sat back down. Scott sat down too, but didn't say anything. After a few minutes, the sheriff came and joined them both. They all sat in silence, too anxious to start a conversation. For now, all they could do was wait.

Derek must have fallen asleep at some moment, because the next thing he knew, Melissa McCall was shaking him awake.

"Hey honey, sorry to wake you, but I just wanted to tell you that Stiles is awake."

Stiles woke up to bright light. The first though he was _am I dead?_ God, he really hoped he wasn't dead. But then his hearing came back to him, and he heard beeping. He groaned, wondering vaguely where he was. Maybe he _was_ dead. Maybe the darach had gotten him...but the darach was Jennifer, and Jennifer was dead. And just like that, the memories of the past few days came rushing back to him. his dad being captured, drowning themselves, crashing his jeep, rescuing his dad, going off with Derek. His eyes snapped open, and he gasped, trying to blink the bright light away.

"Take it easy, kiddo" said somebody on his right. He turned, and he saw Melissa McCall standing there, smiling over him.

"What happened?" he croaked. His voice was hoarse, and his chest was still tight, the way it was after a panic attack. Melissa sighed.

"You have a pretty bad concussion, not to mention the hypothermia" she said.

"Oh" Stiles responded. "Where's my dad?" he asked. Suddenly the longing to see his father was almost too much. Melissa smiled at him.

"I'll go get him" and she left. Stiles stared at the ceiling, suddenly bored. He realized his head wasn't hurting anymore, probably because of the painkillers. He fiddled impatiently with the hospital blanket as he waited for his dad.

"God, Stiles, you are in so much trouble" said a voice from the doorway. Stiles' head snapped up, and he saw his dad, grinning at him from the doorway.

"Dad!" he cried, and almost flung himself out of the bed. His dad rushed to his side, hugging him tightly.

"Don't ever do anything like this again, Stiles, or I swear you'll be grounded for life" the sheriff said. Stiles just buried his dead deeper into his father's shoulder. They broke apart, Stiles examining his father.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Sheriff Stilinski laughed.

"Am _I_ okay? You're the one with the concussion" he joked. But Stiles didn't smile.

"I'm pretty sure you got stabbed, dad" he pointed out.

"I'm fine, Melissa patched me up" the sheriff said. Stiles smiled, a sudden wave of exhaustion hitting him. He tried hiding his yawn, but his father saw it anyway.

"I should go" he said "the others want to see you before you fall asleep." Stiles didn't want his father to go, but he also really wanted to see Scott and Lydia, and Derek.

"Okay" Stiles said, and his father ruffled his hair and left. Scott came running in like an excited puppy a few seconds later.

"Oh my god, Stiles, are you okay? I can't believe you crashed your jeep!" he said. "I'm pretty sure the jeep is fixable, though" Scott added after reading the worried expression in his friend's face. Stiles broke into a grin.

"So you're I heard you got some red eyes now? What happened, yellow wasn't your color?" he asked, desperate to get the conversation off himself. Scott frowned.

"Yeah, I guess so" he sighed. An awkward silence fell over them.

"Where's Derek?" Stiles asked suddenly. An expression of hurt crossed Scott's face, but it was gone as fast as it had come.

"He's outside, I'll call him" Scott said, and after patting Stiles on the shoulder, he was gone. Stiles twitched nervously, unsure of what exactly to say to Derek. The last thing Stiles remembered was passing out with Derek frantically calling his name. He was staring at the door when Derek walked in.

"Hey Derek" Stiles said nervously. A series of emotions crossed Derek's face. Surprise, relief, happiness, irritation, and then rage. Stiles bit his lip, knowing what was coming.

"What the hell, Stiles?" Derek yelled. "Can't you care about yourself for once? Why did you have to come with me? You should have gone straight to the hospital!" Stiles sighed, and rubbed his forehead.

"I've had concussions before, Derek. I didn't think I needed a doctor" he argued. Okay, that was a total lie, he had totally needed a doctor, but Derek didn't have to know that.

"It wasn't just a concussion, Stiles! It was hypothermia, malnutrition, and sleep deprivation" Derek scolded. Stiles scowled.

"Well, I'm sorry if I couldn't sleep away the fact that my father was taken by an evil druid" he snapped. Derek looked like he had been slapped, and Stiles instantly felt bad. "Sorry" he muttered. Derek sighed.

"It's okay" he said. There was an awkward silence.

"So," Stiles said, "do you know when I can leave this place?" he asked. Derek shrugged, and Stiles yawned.

"I'll let you rest then" Derek said.

"Yeah" Stiles replied, and they both stared at the ground for a few seconds. "Could you get me some water before you leave?" Stiles asked, testing his luck. Derek snorted.

"Yeah right, I'm not your servant, Stiles" Derek said. Stiles tried for a convincing smile.

"Please?" he asked. Derek rolled his eyes, and went to get him some water. By the time Derek returned, Stiles was half asleep, and slightly delirious.

"Thanks, Derek" he said, taking the glass from the werewolf. Derek just sighed in return.

"No, Derek, I mean it. Thanks for saving me, and not leaving me out there to die, and thanks for helping to save my dad" Stiles said.

"Well, I couldn't just leave out there to die, Stiles. Scott would have killed me" Derek smirked. Stiles grinned.

"And you owe me. I did save your ass too many times to count."

"Yeah, sure" Derek smirked. And then he smiled the first, genuine smile he had smiled in a long time.


End file.
